title: Increasing paternal age at childbirth is associated with taller stature and less favourable lipid profiles in their children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Paternal age at childbirth has been increasing worldwide, and we assessed whether this increase affects growth, body composition and metabolism in their children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 277 children (aged 3-12 years) born to fathers aged 19·8-51·8 years. Clinical assessments were height and weight adjusted for parental measurements, DEXA-derived body composition, fasting lipids, glucose homoeostasis and hormonal profiles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children born to fathers aged 31-35 (P = 0·009) and >35 years (P = 0·021) were 2 cm taller than those of fathers aged ≤30 years. Children of fathers aged >35 years at childbirth had a lower body mass index (BMI) (-0·32 SDS) than offspring of fathers aged 31-35 (-0·01 SDS; P = 0·043) and ≤30 (0·22 SDS; P = 0·019). There were marked effects of paternal age at childbirth on childhood blood lipids. LDL-C concentrations in children born to fathers aged >35 years were 11% and 21% higher than in children of fathers aged 31-35 and ≤30 years, respectively (P < 0·01). Total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio was also higher among the children of fathers aged 31-35 (12%; P = 0·014) and >35 (16%; P = 0·004) years at childbirth compared with the ≤30 group. In addition, HOMA-IR in girls (but not boys) born of fathers aged 31-35 (0·99) and >35 years (1·11) indicated better insulin sensitivity compared with offspring in the ≤30 group (1·63; P < 0·05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing paternal age at childbirth is associated with a more favourable phenotype in their children (taller and slimmer, with better insulin sensitivity in girls) but with a less favourable lipid profile.
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Gravida: National Centre for Growth and Development, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: José G B
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Derraik
authors.forename: Harriet L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: Fran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mouat
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: Wayne S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Cutfield
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D010331:Paternal Age; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol